Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: How many projectionists does it take to screw in a lightbul..i mean to run a booth :)

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Topic: How many projectionists does it take to screw in a lightbul..i mean to run a booth :)

Tom Kroening
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 214
From: Janesville, WI USA
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 08-02-2000 02:23 AM

Hey, I was wondering how many projectionists are upstairs at a time at your theatre and how many screens it is! Right now i work at an 18 plex and we have one person upstairs at a time (two on thrusday nights). My only gripe is that i don't have much time to do anything else but thread. When I do get the time to do something else I usually end up fixing something that broke the night before or doing filmwork/trailer changes. Id really like two people up there in the day and one at night, or two at night and one in the day. Its not fun having a diode go out in a show thats 2 minutes late and sold out without anyone downstairs that knows how to run the booth while you do repairs!

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 08-02-2000 02:50 AM

I run a 16-plex and there is one person in the booth except for Thursday nights. I know what you mean about repairs. Usually I have to wait until the end of the night when I am done threading, and work on stuff as the film drops. Our manager likes to make REALLY TIGHT ASS schedules, so there isn't much intermission time, and everything drops within 35 minutes of eachother. It's not hard keeping up, but it is annoying when you are trying to get something done.

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Tom Kroening
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 214
From: Janesville, WI USA
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 08-02-2000 03:56 AM

I think that companies just don't see whats involved in boothwork. they think that If you can keep up with the schedule then only one person should be up there at a time. Im sure most of us could keep up with a 30 plex if teh schedule is made correctly, but the point is that there is more to do then just threading( like eating popcorn and drinking soda and using speed dial to keep calling the radio station to be caller number 8 : P) Those little breaks between sets don't even count because all the shows are still running.

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Nicholas McRobert
Film Handler

Posts: 38
From: Belfast, N. Ireland
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 08-02-2000 05:44 AM

Very different circumstances in Europe, it would seem. At my cinema, we have 4 full time projectionists; two are present between 2pm and 10pm, with only one covering the start and end of the day, except for the beginning of the week where we bring two in for essential maintenance at about 10am....changing lights at high level etc. We also have two projection rooms, separated by 2 floors, so maybe that counts for something (we also do ALL maintenance...not just projection stuff). I hear that in France, some cinemas run with a screen

rojectionist ratio in mind. For example, they will have a minimum of one projectionist per 4 screens....so a 16 screener always has 4 people on there.

Nicholas

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Greg Mueller
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1687
From: Port Gamble, WA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-02-2000 09:21 AM

Nicholas
That probably explains why used film in Europe is in better shape than in the US. With more hands to help, more attention can be paid. Maybe if there were more hands available in the US theaters, film would not get beatup as much, the quality would remain higher for longer and the idea that digital projection is a necessary thing, would have no basis (not that it does anyway).

------------------
Greg Mueller
Amateur Astronomer, Machinist, Filmnut

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Paul Konen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 981
From: Frisco, TX. (North of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-02-2000 09:24 AM

At the 24 screen I'm at it works the following way:
2 Open til 5 pm
1 5pm until 11 pm or last start.
1 5 pm until close.

Thursday we will have at least 2 extra people maybe 3-4 depending on how many prints will have to be screened, ads changed out, technicolor prints broken down, etc.

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Dave Cutler
Master Film Handler

Posts: 277
From: Centennial, CO
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 08-02-2000 10:22 AM

At BarryWoods 24 I run with 1 opener, 1 mid shift and 1 closer on Sunday - Thursday. Friday and Saturday I have 2 openers and 2 closers. I am there on Thursday nights non-op to make sure everything is ready for Friday morning.

Personally I feel that a projectionist should not have to operate more than 10 projectors under normal circumstances. That way you are assured proper coverage if something were to go wrong (and it inevitibly does).

I also work as a 15/70 projectionist where we have 3 full time projectionists. One opener and one closer with about 5 hours (some times more) of overlap time where both are there.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 08-02-2000 10:35 AM

I think the title of this thread, "How many projectionists does it take to screw in a lightbul..i mean to run a booth

", is very appropriate. When things are running well, one skilled person can competently run quite a few screens (through the miracle of platters, xenon lamps, and automation systems). But when something goes wrong (lamp needing to be changed, film jam, sound outage, etc.), it's nice to have an extra person capable of lending a hand.

IMHO, the key is always having a SKILLED person in the booth, who is able to handle normal "emergencies" on duty, and perform routine maintenance. The person making up and breaking down shows also needs to be a COMPETENT film handler, who really cares about quality. In most cases, this means regarding and rewarding projection as a CAREER, rather than a just a part time job or temporary stepping stone to management.

Sadly, projection and sound quality, and the people trying to maintain them, are often too low on the priority list of some of today's theatre circuits.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com

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Scott McFly
Film Handler

Posts: 19
From: Birch Run, MI, USA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 08-02-2000 10:41 AM

we only have 1 person to run 10 screens and there are times when i have a good 45 minutes with nothing to do, if something breaks i can fix it in 5 minutes or less, so i end up sitting around reading or something. my only gripe is there isnt enough to do! on thursdays we only have one person, the movies get put together either that night if not in the morning.

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-02-2000 10:43 AM

John is right. I would make the point that a slow day at a 10-plex (no prints to make up/break down, no trailers to change, only one or two print moves, etc.) requires less actual work than a manual single-screen with carbon-arc lamps, but requires an operator with far more skill. In a large multiplex, there is limited time to fix problems as they arise or to work around flakey equipment, so everything must be maintained to a higher standard in this sort of environment. When things do go wrong, they need to be fixed quickly and properly. Admittedly, it's easy to run around, thread projectors, and set timers, but there is far more to the job than that, even if the theatre has good automation equipment.

Given the choice, though, I'd take a manual single-screen booth over a multiplex.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-02-2000 11:31 AM

I say the trick is to "train" your manager. Nowadays, the booth manager is also in charge of ushers, or something. Get your mgr. up in the booth and "encourage" him to roll up his sleeves and thread.

Give the poor guy some slack. Teach him the right way and don't ride him too hard.

Once the mgr. finds out what the work is like, he'll loosen up.

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Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 08-02-2000 11:57 AM

Monday's through Thursday's we run 1 projectionist/usher for 12 screens. That's right, run the booth AND clean your theatres. No wonder nothing ever gets done around here. Thursday's the 1 usher gets as much done as he can as far as building up/tearing down. I finish the rest Friday morning/afternnon. Friday-Sunday afternoon we run 2 projectionist/usher's, each take 6 screens. If we only had to run the booth, 1 person could do it EASILY. Even counting in breakdowns and considering we have no timers.

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Kevin Crawford
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 207
From: Sacramento, CA, USA
Registered: May 2000

posted 08-02-2000 01:18 PM

The chain that I service does not believe in timers, or remote start. So everything must be started at the machine. We have one 14 plex with one operator. The two other gigaplexes (a 16 and an 18) each have two people on at the same time.

I just don't see the logic in having one person kill themselves to run more than 10 screens at a time. But then again why would you need a clean booth, or maintained equipment?

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John Walsh
Film God

Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 08-02-2000 02:42 PM

I work in an 8-plex. We have no operators in the booth, except for Thursday night, Friday night, and Saturday night. I'm the Friday and Saturday night guy. If I can't make it, they won't get someone to replace me. Management feels that 8 theaters are not enough to justify any "booth-only" personal except for those nights (and they feel it's borderline on whether one is needed on Friday and Saturday night.)

We also do not have any remote alarms, timers, etc. So if there's a problem when there's no operator, a patron almost always has to come out and tell someone.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 08-02-2000 03:09 PM

John Walsh said:

"We have no operators in the booth, except for Thursday night, Friday night, and Saturday night...So if there's a problem when there's no operator, a patron almost always has to come out and tell someone."

A skilled operator is an unnecessary expense for eight screens? Whatever happened to "Showmanship"?

Who's going to turn out the lights and board-up the doors when audiences stay home to watch movies on their DLP home Digital Cinema, and theatres go out of business? This is depressing .

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